Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs (1961-)

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July 19, 1961

CHAMPIONS

The Dallas Texans won the first ever Continental Series and are the champions of the Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-6 on Wednesday.

The Maple Leafs came into the series as a heavy favorite after being the wire-to-wire leaders in the Eastern Division, but they failed to win even a single game in the championship series against the Texans.

"We choked," Maple Leafs outfielder Leon Wagner said. "I don't think the best team won the title. Tip your cap to them for coming out and executing. We didn't. That was the difference."

Texans outfielder Bobby Thomson won the Continental Series MVP Award. Thomson, best known for hitting "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" as a member of the New York Giants in 1951, hit .471 with a homer, a triple, and 10 RBI's in the series.

"I'm just glad I was able to deliver for my team," Thomson said. "It seemed like there were always runners in scoring position when I came up to hit. It's pretty fun to hit when those are your circumstances."

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New York, Tuesday, August 1, 1961

Continental League Owners Meet

The first season of the Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs has come and gone, and the overwhelming consensus is the league was quite the success story.

"We saw revenue numbers above what we expected for pretty much all of our ballclubs," league president Branch Rickey said. "People came out to the ballpark in all of our cities. Baseball obviously needed expansion. We went to eight cities that didn't have professional baseball and our league was a success story in all of them. I couldn't be prouder of this league."

In what was only an 84 game season, four of the eight teams saw attendance numbers above the 800,000 mark. The New York Mets fell just 5,000 shy of the 800,000 mark.

When asked about the talent level of the league, Rickey admitted that there's work to do.

"Obviously our league is not as talented as MLB quite yet, but we've only been here for one year, and I do think we have some really good talent. We have veterans like Ted Williams, but we have young guys like Al Downing and Jim Wynn too. We're growing well," Rickey said.

Rickey says that all eight teams will go down to latin america next month and begin scouting players there. He believes that adding talent from latin america is key for continued success of the league.

"We need to be very active in latin america. Major League Baseball is starting to go down there, but we can hit it harder than them. There's a lot of talent coming from that part of the world," Rickey said.

While the owners all agree that year one was a success, the meetings weren't just one big party. The owners discussed lengthening the schedule and expanding the league.

"I don't think we are ready for either of those things quite yet. It was a great year, but one year is a small sample size and I don't want to grow too quickly. If next year goes well, then we can look at adding games and adding teams in 1963, but I think we all pretty much agreed we aren't ready for that in '62," Rickey said.

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August 10, 1961

TEXANS ACQUIRE WILLIAMS

The champions of the Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs made what could be a league altering move, acquiring Ted Williams from the Buffalo Lakers.

In return, the Lakers received 19-year-old SP Mel Stottlemyre, 22 year-old CF Peter Danovich, 24 year-old 1B Frank Karwoski, 24 year-old C Robert Warner, and 24 year-old C Pete Embry.

The prize for the Lakers is Stottlemyre. Stottlemyre started 21 games for the Texans, pitching 151.2 IP. He had an ERA of 3.09 with 117 strikeouts and a 7-8 Win-Loss record. At just 19 years old, he could've just scratched the surface of his ability.

Danovich played a key role for the Texans in the Continental Series, slugging three homers in four games, but he struggled during the regular season and was expected to be moved to a bench role with Felipe Montemayor returning from injury. The Lakers hope Danovich can build on his successful Continental Series.

Karwoski, Warner, and Embry mostly appear to be trade fodder. Only Karwoski spent time on the big league club with Dallas, while Warner and Embry spent the entire year on Dallas' reserve roster. Karwoski hit just .201 with 3 HR in 149 AB's for the Texans.

Obviously the biggest name in the entire deal is the 42-year-old Williams. Williams hit .362 with 52 HR and 101 RBI in 82 games played. He is expected to win the league's MVP award at the winter meetings next week.

While the Texans are clearly acquiring the best player in the deal, not everyone in the industry believes they made a good trade.

"I just don't quite understand it," an anonymous front office member of another team said. "They already had the best offense in the league and weren't all that great on the mound, and they just traded away a 19-year-old front of the rotation starter. They got better where they didn't need to and got worse where they couldn't afford to."

When asked how he felt about the trade from the Lakers point of view, he wasn't as condescending.

"It's hard to trade away a player as good as Teddy, but he isn't going to play much longer. Stottlemyre is a guy that can be a force in their rotation for years. I think they could've gotten better complimentary pieces around Mel in the trade, but he'll be a good player for them," he said.

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CL Awards

Most Valuable Player



2nd place: Ted Williams Buffalo Lakers - (.362, 52 HR, 101 RBI)

Pitcher of the Year Award



2nd place: Mel Stottlemyre Dallas Texans - (7-8, 3.09 ERA)

MLB UPDATE

World Series Champion: Baltimore Orioles
NL Pennant Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
AL MVP: New York Yankees OF Mickey Mantle
NL MVP: Cincinnati Reds OF Frank Robinson
AL Cy Young: Chicago White Sox SP Gene Conley
NL Cy Young: San Francisco Giants SP Jack Sanford
AL Rookie of the Year: Washington Senators SS Jimmie Hall
NL Rookie of the Year: Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon

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1962 Season Preview

The Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs is about to kick off their second ever season. Lets take a look at the teams and their rosters heading into the new year.

Atlanta Pilots

1961 Record: 31-53 (Last place in Eastern Division)

The Pilots struggled in the inaugural season, but they may have the most exciting young roster in the entire league. Pitcher of the Year Al Downing returns at the top of the rotation. Many experts believe the 20-year-old could repeat as league Pitcher of the Year.

Behind him in the rotation is another young gun, 18-year-old Tom Burgmeier. Burgmeier struggled in his short stint in the CL last year, going 0-2 in three starts with a 7.20 ERA, but he is one of the most highly thought of prospects in all of baseball.

The Pilots have two young studs in the middle of the lineup as well, with 20-year-old 3B Jim "The Toy Cannon" Wynn and 20-year-old C Bert Campaneris anchoring the lineup. The two both experienced success after signing with the Pilots late in the year, and they have high expectations heading into this season.

The Pilots dipped into the free agent market to bolster the lineup around Wynn and Campaneris, signing a handful of ex-AAA players. It remains to be seen if Wynn, Campaneris, and the rest of the newcomers will be enough to improve on the league's worst offense.

Buffalo Lakers

1961 Record: 37-47 (3rd in Eastern Division)

The Buffalo Lakers come into 1962 with a new look roster, notably missing Ted Williams. Williams was traded to the defending champion Dallas Texans over the offseason for Mel Stottlemyre and a handful of other pieces.

Stottlemyre will anchor what has the makings of a solid one-two punch atop the rotation. Behind him is former MLB World Series MVP Don Larsen. Larsen pitched solidly for the Lakers last year, going 8-1 with a 3.63 ERA over 12 starts, but he missed the rest of the season with an injury.

While the rotation could be solid, there's very little to be excited about in the Lakers lineup. Fred Hatfield returns at shortstop and looks to be the best bat in the Lakers order. Last year he hit .296 with 12 HR's. Behind him is outfielder Ray Jablonski. Jablonski hit .332 with 22 HR's, but he did miss a total of 13 games due to injury.

The biggest free agent acquisition for the Lakers was 1B Walt Dropo. The former 1950 AL Rookie of the Year signed with the Lakers after being released by the Washington Senators.

New York Mets

1961 Record: 44-40 (2nd in the Eastern Division)

The New York Mets finished the year blazing hot after almost completely overhauling the roster in late June.

The Mets figure to be a competitor in the Eastern Division, challenging the defending division champion Toronto Maple Leafs. New York will certainly be buoyed by a strong lineup, led by Tony Oliva. The 23-year-old won the Continental League's batting title last season, hitting .376. Surrounding him in the lineup are 2B Jim Lefebvre, SS Gil McDougald, 3B Steve Demeter, and C Manuel Lopez.

While the lineup may be strong, the pitching staff looks questionable. Paul Toth should be a reliable arm at the top of the rotation, and Bob Garibaldi is probably the best reliever in the entire league, but there is very little talent around them on the Mets pitching staff.

Toronto Maple Leafs

1961 Record: 50-34 (Eastern Division Champion)

The defending Division Champions return a very strong team, and look to be the favorites to repeat. The lineup will be a good one, but it is obviously led by Most Valuable Player Leon Wagner. Wagner won the MVP award after hitting .358 with 45 HR's and 91 RBI's in 83 GP. Chico Terry, Don Taussig, and John Harmon will also be very reliable bats for the Maple Leafs.

The rotation looks like it will be a good one as well. The rotation will return 18-year-old pitcher Tommy John, who missed almost the entire season before suffering bone chips in his elbow. Prior to his injury he was 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA over 5 starts.

[G-Force]

Originally Posted by gskweres9

The Pilots have two young studs in the middle of the lineup as well, with 20-year-old 3B Jim "The Toy Cannon" Wynn and 20-year-old C Bert Campaneris anchoring the lineup.

Wow...Wynn played two games at 3B in his career. Campaneris played 1 at catcher - a game where he played every position. Pilots clearly thinking outside the box lol.

GH

[gskweres9]

Originally Posted by G-Force

Wow...Wynn played two games at 3B in his career. Campaneris played 1 at catcher - a game where he played every position. Pilots clearly thinking outside the box lol.

GH

Yeah...Not quite sure what is going on there. Pretty interesting stuff

[gskweres9]

I typed up a preview of the Western Division last night, but the forums crashed or something when I tried to post it, so I lost what I wrote. In all honesty, I don't feel like taking the time to write up a preview again, so I'm going to give a lightning fast preview of the Western Division.

The defending champion Dallas Texans are the favorites to repeat again, but they do have holes. They added Ted Williams to the league's best offense, but that required giving up far and away the best arm from a mediocre staff. They might not have enough pitching to repeat as division champs.

The next best team is the Minneapolis Millers. They fell just one game short of the division title last year and return exactly the same lineup. They have a new few arms in the rotation that the team hopes can catapult them into first place.

Next are the Houston Colt .45s. They had a hot second half of the year last year that kept them in contention before collapsing over the final two weeks. Fergie Jenkins is an intriguing piece in the rotation, but there's not much around him either on the pitching staff or the lineup.

Finally we have the Denver Doves. If you chose to be a Doves fan...lord have mercy on your soul

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End of April Update

The first month of play of the second ever season of the Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs has come to a close, and the season is off to a great start.

In the Western Division, the defending champion Dallas Texans are off to a hot start, going 15-9 over the first month of play. As expected, the Texans are led by a potent offense. They've scored 129 runs so far, good for first in the league. Much publicized offseason acquisition Ted Williams is hitting .390 with 7 HR's in 16 games played. While he is certainly producing, Dallas hasn't exactly seen the power numbers they expected, especially after Williams slugged 52 HR's the year prior. While their offense has been spectacular, the pitching staff is mediocre again, placing 5th in the Continental League in total runs allowed. Dave Debusschere leads the staff with a 3-1 record and a 2.06 ERA over 5 starts.

Trailing the Texans are their rivals right down I-45, the Houston Colt .45s (13-11). The Colt .45s have a pretty good offense as well, placing 3rd in the Continental League in runs scored. Outfielder Jim King has played spectacularly, hitting .351 with 7 HR in 24 games played. Billy Gardner and Jim Baumer have done a good job setting the table in front of King, batting .299 and .312 respectively. The problem for Houston has been a putrid pitching staff that ranks dead last in runs allowed. Fergie Jenkins has been nothing short of miraculous, going 4-1 with a 2.33 ERA, but he's gotten absolutely no support around him, as no other starting pitcher has an ERA below 5.00.



Behind the Colt .45s and 6 GB of the division lead are the Minneapolis Millers (9-15). The Millers have disappointed on the offensive end, ranking 7th in runs scored. Maury Wills has hit just .261 at the top of the order, and mid-April acquisition Stan Musial has hit just .167 over 12 games in a Millers uniform. Musial signed with the Millers after being released by the St. Louis Cardinals at the end of spring training. While the offense has been horrible, the pitching staff has been respectable. John Smith heads the rotation at 3-2 with a 1.78 ERA. Gary Lewis (2-3, 3.56) and Kenneth Norwood (1-1, 2.86) are the number two and three starters, and they have pitched solidly as well. While the Millers have dug quite the early hole, they could be a factor if guys like Wills, Musial, and Gus Bell begin to produce like they have in the past.

In last place in the Western Division are the 8-16 Denver Doves. The Doves continue to be a faceless, putrid ball club. Bob Bailey is the only future building block. After April the 19-year-old is batting .286 with 4 HR's.

The Eastern Division looks like it is setup to be an interesting race in the early going. The New York Mets are the division leader after a month of play, going 17-7 in April. Owners of the league's 2nd best offense and best pitching staff, it doesn't look like they're going away any time soon. Tony Oliva and Jim Lefebvre have been the big boppers in the Mets lineup. Oliva is hitting .355 with 8 HR and 18 RBI's, while Lefebvre is hitting .312 with 3 HR and 17 RBI's out of the lead off spot. The pitching rotation has been magnificent as well. Paul Toth is 5-1 with a 1.07 ERA after April, while Dennis Ribant is 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA. Bob Garibaldi and Paul Foytack have provided the Mets with an ultra-reliable back end of the bullpen too. They certainly look to be the real deal.

3 1/2 GB of the Mets are the 13-10 Atlanta Pilots. The Pilots continue to be carried by an impressive pitching staff, however 1961 Pitcher of the Year Al Downing has actually struggled in the early stages, going just 1-2 with a 3.75 ERA over 5 starts. However the rest of the rotation has been pretty dynamite, as no starter has an ERA above 3.50. The lineup is only 5th in the league in runs scored, and will need to perform better to compete with the Mets. Young prospect Bert Campaneris is off to a hot start, batting .312 with 2 HR and 9 SB's. His young counterpart Jim Wynn has struggled a little more to start the year, batting .212 with 3 HR. If the Pilots can continue to pitch well and can get increased output from Wynn and some other bats, then they could be knocking on the door at the end of the year.

5 GB of the Mets and sitting at .500 are the defending division champion Toronto Maple Leafs. The 12-12 record is fitting, as the Maple Leafs have been exceptionally mediocre. Tommy John (3-1, 2.08) has pitched well coming off of arm surgery, but Jim Merritt and Ron Mrozinski, two of their most reliable arms from 1961, each have ERA's of 4.63 and have a combined record of 3-5. The lineup has also seen a drop in production. Last year's Hitter of the Year Leon Wagner has still performed well, hitting .317 with 4 HR, but he's considerably off his award winning pace from a year prior. Third Baseman John Harmon has been a bright spot for Toronto, hitting .380 with 7 HR.

In last place in the Eastern Division are the Buffalo Lakers (9-16). The Lakers have the league's 6th ranked offense and 7th ranked pitching staff. Offseason acquisition Mel Stottlemyre has pitched well, going 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA, but the team simply has too many holes to look like a challenger for a playoff spot.

[gskweres9]

May 6, 1962

Weeping Williams

The Dallas Texans have lost star outfielder Ted Williams for at least 6 weeks, as he is suffering from bone chips in his elbow.

Williams reportedly has had issues with his elbow for quite some time now, but irritated the injury while making a throw during their game on Saturday against the Denver Doves.

"We can't make excuses. We've got to go out and keep winning ballgames," Texans manager Butch Hogan said.

Williams is hitting .382 with 9 HR and 31 RBI's in 22 games played. The Texans currently lead the Western Division by 1/2 a game over the Houston Colt .45s.

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New York, Tuesday, May 15, 1962

Continental League Approves Expansion

The Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs has approved expansion for the 1963 season. After a successful debut season in 1961, league executives wanted to see if the excitement around the league still existed to start the second year.

All of the teams are reportedly all profitable by a significant margin, and many of the teams are on pace to break their attendance numbers from the year before.

"All of our teams are doing very well. We think we're ready to add more franchises," league president Branch Rickey said.

The league has reportedly accepted bids for teams from Nashville, Memphis, Indianapolis, Newark, New Orleans, San Antonio, San Diego, and Seattle. The league office will review the bids from the cities and will decide on two cities to expand to by the end of the regular season. The two expansion clubs will have the offseason to prepare for play in 1963.

"We've received a lot of great bids from a lot of great cities across this great country," Rickey said. "We're blessed to be in the position we're in."

The expansion of the league will also result in an expansion of the schedule, although league executives say they have't decided on an exact number of games yet.

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End of May Update

Another month of play is in the books. Lets take a look at the league.

There's an unfamiliar face atop the Western Division, as the Houston Colt .45s 25-23 record has them in first place. The .45s took advantage of a poor month from the Dallas Texans, as the pitching staff has seen some improvement. The offense is 4th in the league in runs scored. The team is tied for 4th in runs allowed. Left handed pitcher Chris Short really stepped up behind Fergie Jenkins in the rotation. Short went 3-1 with a 2.11 ERA over 5 starts in May. On the year he is 5-2 with a 2.98 ERA in 8 starts.



One game behind the Colt .45s are the 24-24 Dallas Texans. The Texans still have the league's best offense, but the injury to Ted Williams has undoubtedly hurt their production. Williams returns from injury in two weeks.

6 GB of the Colt .45s and in third place in the Western Division are the Denver Doves (19-29). The Doves played better in May, mostly due to an improved pitching staff.

In last place in the Western Division is the Minneapolis Millers. The Millers are 18-30 and are 7 GB of Houston. Leadoff man Maury Wills has picked up his production considerably, hitting .443 in May to raise his average from .261 to .359. His 24 stolen bases are the most in the league.

The 33-16 New York Mets have a 7 game lead in the Eastern Division. They look like they might be this year's Toronto Maple Leafs and be wire-to-wire leaders in the East. The offense is second in the league in runs scored, while the pitching staff is first in runs allowed.

Behind the Mets are the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs went 14-10 in May, giving them a 26-23 record on the year. Leon Wagner had a scorching hot month of May, bringing home hitter of the month honors. He hit .417 with 13 HR during the month. Toronto starter Tommy John also won the pitcher of the month award, going 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA.

Just 1/2 GB of the Maple Leafs are the Atlanta Pilots. First baseman Joe Macko has been a standout performer for Atlanta, hitting .284 with 12 HR on the year. Bert Campaneris struggled in May, hitting .200 with 0 HR in 21 games played. Jim Wynn continues to struggle in his first full season, as he's only hitting .217 on the year.



In last place are the 24-26 Buffalo Lakers. The Lakers surprisingly have hung around, and it could be due to a solid pitching staff. Mel Stottlemyre and Don Larsen have pitched well atop the rotation. The Lakers recently signed former AL Rookie of the Year Herb Score. Score pitched a complete game and only allowed one run in his Continental League debut.

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June 26, 1962

Wynn Hits for Cycle

Atlanta Pilots third baseman Jim Wynn hit for the cycle in their 7-6 loss against the Dallas Texans on Tuesday. The accomplishment was the first ever cycle in Continental League history.

Wynn doubled in the first, singled in the 4th, tripled in the 6th, and homered in the 9th. He also had a strikeout in the 8th inning.

The 20-year-old Wynn came into the year with high expectations after hitting .354 in just 22 games as a 19-year-old last year, but struggled mightily over the first two months of play. Wynn seems like he's growing into the hitter everyone expected him to be, hitting .320 with 2 HR in the month of June.

"I was seeing the ball well today, but we didn't win, so it doesn't matter," said Wynn.

The loss was the Pilots third straight loss. They are 36-35 and are 12 1/2 GB of the New York Mets for the Eastern Division lead.

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End of June Update

With June having come to a close, less than two weeks of play remain in the Continental League regular season.

The race for the Eastern Division is over, as the New York Mets have already claimed the division title. At 50-24, they are currently 10 1/2 games ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Mets went 18-8 in June, their best month of the season. Currently 1st in the league in runs scored and 1st in runs allowed, they should be heavy favorites against whoever they play in the Continental Series.

Behind the Mets are the 40-35 Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs have played well for the most part, and are 3rd in runs scored and runs allowed. Unfortunately for them, a slow start will keep them from getting the chance to avenge their loss to the Dallas Texans in last year's championship.

In third place are the Atlanta Pilots (38-37). The Pilots took a big step forward after a dismal season in 1961, but not quite enough of a step to win a division title. Young prospects Jim Wynn and Bert Campaneris both showed flashes of brilliance, but neither played well for the entire season. Defending Pitcher of the Year Al Downing got off to a slow start, but he finished the year 7-5 with a 2.44 ERA. All in all, 1962 will be looked at as a step towards contending for Atlanta.

In last place and currently on a 10-game losing streak are the Buffalo Lakers. The Lakers have put together what could be a good pitching staff with Mel Stottlemyre, Don Larsen, and Herb Score, but they have the worst offense in the league, desperately missing slugger Ted Williams.

While the Eastern Division is all wrapped up, the Western Division is going to be a tight race down the stretch.

The Dallas Texans currently lead the division with a 38-36 record. The defending champions have seen their aging roster begin to show signs of aging, and haven't been very dominant. Ted Williams has been magnificent, hitting .352 with 15 HR, but he missed significant time with injury. Top contributors from last year's title team Bobby Morgan and Earl Torgeson are only hitting .203 and .209 respectively. The rotation is also mediocre without Mel Stottlemyre, as they're just 6th in the league in runs allowed.

Two games behind the Texans are the Houston Colt .45s. The Colt .45s took control of the division for a brief period, but they've kind of been limping down the stretch. The team has the worst pitching staff in the Continental League, making it doubtful that they will be a legitimate title threat.

Four GB of the Texans are the Denver Doves. The Doves have exceeded expectations, but have done so behind a surprisingly solid pitching staff. The staff has no stand out players, but everyone has been good, leading to an overall top notch unit. Unfortunately, Bob Bailey has no help around him in the lineup, which is why they're 34-40 and not leading the division.

In last place are the 31-43 Minneapolis Millers. The Millers had a number of disappointments from the lineup to the pitching staff, which has led to the dismal season.

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July 13, 1962

Dallas Defends Title

The Dallas Texans defeated the Houston Colt .45s in a one game playoff to decide the Western Division champion. With their 7-4 win, the Texans have earned their second straight division title, and will defend their league championship against the New York Mets.

The Texans jumped on the usually spectacular Fergie Jenkins, scoring five runs in the first inning. Jenkins lasted only 4 1/3 innings, giving up 5 runs (3 earned). Robert Batchelder pitched well for Dallas, going 8 1/3 and allowing two runs on four hits. He also struck out five and walked four.

Bobby Avila was the offensive star for Dallas, going 4-for-4 with an RBI, a walk, and three runs scored. The 38-year-old finished the regular season with a .298 batting average while hitting 10 homers.

"It feels great to get this win, but we need to shift our focus to the Mets," Avila said. "They're a great ballclub and we have a title to defend."

The Continental Series begins on Sunday. Bob Greenwood is expected to get the start for Dallas. Paul Toth is slotted to start for the Mets. The teams will open the series with two games in New York before coming to Dallas.

[gskweres9]

New York, Saturday, July 14, 1962

Final Four Expansion Candidates Chosen

The Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs will expand by two to ten teams for the 1963 season. The league has narrowed the list of possible cities from eight to four.

"We received eight fantastic bids for baseball teams," league President Branch Rickey said. "We've narrowed that list to four. We still need to narrow that list to two, but no matter what we decide I know we will get two good franchises."

The final four cities are Seattle, New Orleans, Memphis, and Nashville. Newark, Indianapolis, San Diego, and San Antonio all submitted bids but were not approved for expansion.

The two expansion clubs will be revealed at the completion of the Continental Series later this month.

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New York, Monday, July 15, 1962

Mets Take Game One

The New York Mets defeated the Dallas Texans 6-5 in game one of the Continental Series Sunday night. Pinch hitter Don Williams was an unlikely hero, driving in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.

The game was originally a pitcher's duel, as neither team scored until the Texans scratched a run across in the top of the 8th, however the Mets came right back and matched that in the bottom half of the inning off of Texans reliever Humberto Robinson. Bob Greenwood started the game for Dallas, pitching 7 innings while allowing no runs.

Paul Toth pitched 9 frames, allowing one run. He earned a no decision.

It looked like the Texans had the win wrapped up, as they scored 4 runs in the top of the 11th to give them a 5-1 lead. Ted Williams drove in all 4 of the runs on a Grand Slam.

The Mets weren't done battling though, scoring 5 runs in the bottom half of the inning to win 6-5. The inning was a comedy of errors, as the Texans committed three of them before recording a single out in the inning. Ultimately, pinch hitter Don Williams looped a single over the shortstops head, driving in Jim Lefebvre, and giving the Mets the win.

The series resumes tonight at Payson Stadium

[gskweres9]

New York, Tuesday, July 16, 1962

Mets Mash Texans

The New York Mets took a commanding 2-0 Continental Series lead, defeating the Dallas Texans 6-4 on Monday night.

The same theme from the end of Sunday's game continued to start Monday, as the Mets scored two runs in the bottom of the first after a throwing error by Texans CF Carl Hutzler. The Mets then tacked on four more runs in the second to take a 6-0 lead.

The Texans did score two runs in the 4th on a Ted Williams homer, but six runs was plenty of support for Mets starter Dennis Ribant. Ribant pitched 8 innings, allowing four runs while striking out five.

While the Mets do have the lead, the Texans haven't lost hope. "We were down against Toronto 3-1 last year. We've dug ourselves a hole, but we've got a good ballclub and we've got some home cookin' comin' up," Texans owner Aaron Muckey said.

The teams have an off day tomorrow to account for travel before the series resumes on Thursday at Turnpike Stadium in Dallas.

[gskweres9]

New York, Friday, July 20, 1962

Mets Win Again

The Dallas Texans' backs are against the wall after losing to the New York Mets 6-4 in extra innings last night.

The Texans initially looked like they were about to claw back in the series, jumping out to a 2-1 lead after three innings. Both pitchers settled in afterwords, not allowing any runs until the 8th inning.

In the top of the 8th the Mets scored two runs on a double by Russ Gibson, giving them a 3-2 lead. The Texans would immediately scrap back to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame, scoring on a solo homer by Edwin Chasteen.

The game remained scoreless until Gibson came through again for the Mets, blasting a three-run shot to left field and giving the Mets a 6-3 lead. Roy White hit a homer in the bottom half of the inning, but it wasn't enough as the Mets won 6-4.

The Mets will be looking to sweep the Texans and close out the Continental Series tonight at Turnpike Stadium.

[gskweres9]

July 22, 1962

Dallas Defeats New York

The Dallas Texas staved off elimination on Saturday, defeating the New York Mets 4-2 at Turnpike Stadium. The win narrows the Mets series lead from 3-0 to 3-1.

Hector Maestri turned in a masterful performance for Dallas, pitching six innings and allowing one run while striking out seven. Ted Williams provided a good portion of the offense, going 2-for-4 with a home run.

The win keeps the defending champion Texans dreams of repeating alive, at least for one more day. "We won today, but we have to come back out again and do it tomorrow," Williams said. "The good thing about having your back up against the wall is you have nothing to lose. We just have to keep fighting. We want to bring these fans another title and keep the Continental Cup right here in Texas."

The series resumes tonight at Turnpike Stadium